WW: Environment

Environment April 1, 2008

Do you feel that pagans/neo-pagans as a whole have a responsibility to the environment? Do you incorporate eco-conscious decisions in your spiritual work? Or do you feel that the two subjects should remain separate and have no interest in the environment as a whole?

I think that a pagan’s responsibility to the environment depends on how nature fits into their personal beliefs. I wouldn’t expect a follower a Kali to be terribly involved in saving the ecosystems of the world, for example. Diana’s folowers better though, or she might get a little pissed off.

For those of us without a particular patron, it becomes a question of how do you work. I’m mostly a practicing kitchen witch (which, is funny of late with my lack of cooking). I try to grow my own herbs and use them when cooking. I try to have sustainable methods of working in my own yard and do what I can outside in the greater community (even though my day job is with an agrochemical company and this may seem backwards).

I try to work, when I do something, outside as much as possible. But sometimes the world doesn’t want to make it easy on me and I’d rather do something than do nothing because the conditions weren’t perfect.

I guess where I’m going is that pagans as a whole have no more responsibility to the environment than any other inhabitant of this globe. Past that, it is up to you. But as a society, we’re lacking in meeting our responsibility to the world and we need to fix that, first.

 

WW: Daily Piety

Daily Piety September 1, 2007

Do you have a ritual/meditation/affirmation that you do daily? If so, what is it and what does it mean to you?

Does it count that I have things I try to do every day? No? Damn. Okay, on a normal day my alarm goes off and I get up and hit the snooze button. Every single day’s alarm has built in slush time. This gives me seven minutes to stumble back to bed and calmly figure out the day. Usually this begins with “what day is it?” and goes through from there. It’s semi meditative, but more of a planning my day and thinking while the first few moments of peace - because usually that’s all I get. I concentrate on my breathing, waking up my body as my mind slowly goes through the day. With the plot in my mind of what I have coming up for me, I know what to pay attention to as I wake myself up for the day. If I’m running ahead of time, I grab my deck and pull a card for the day. If I’m really lucky, I go and log it on the board I’m a semi-aware member of (less so with being a good employee and not browsing at lunch).

Evenings usually involve something similar of getting in to bed and stretching out on my back, working out any kinks that I can get my brain wrapped around. Then my cat usually jumps on my chest and everything is focused on her. Usually, she settles after a few minutes of intense head scratches and then lets me sleep.

 

WW: Weather Manipulation

Weather Manipulation August 10th 2007

I recently ran across a situation in my Grove that I thought might make a decent discussion related to paganism in general. In Maryland we are in somewhat of a severe drought (though this week we’ve been blessed with a decent sprinkle of rain, after I don’t know how many months). For Lughnasadh last weekend, I had suggested our prayer for ritual be towards a balance in the weather. I never mentioned asking for rain, but many of my Grove mates were very paranoid and jumped in saying that we should never do rain “magic” and other such arguments.

We finally did settle for balance and harmony in all things, but what are your thoughts on even mentioning weather in your ritual/magical workings? I’ve always been under the opinion that you have to be careful what you ask for, but if you are very specific and keep in mind the Law of Balance, that you’d be fine.

There was an interesting article on about.com recently concerning the Threefold Law and trying to figure out what the balance is and if there was a real need for balanced budget sheet. So the question is not about working weather as much as how do you feel about balance, in my opinion. If you ask for rain, are you afraid of depriving somewhere else of the desperate inches they need to stave off a drought? I think some of it is concerned about what you’re working for - a bit of rain to save you the trouble of watering the lawn or the rain to dampen the lands around a forest fire?

I think like so many other items that come into magic you have to have faith that while you are working towards something (either your lawn or the forest for rain), there’s still the will of a higher power deciding whether or not to assist your request. Think of it as a filter, who will make sure you keep the balance…whether you mean to or no.

 

Cleaning House

I’ve been feeling…stagnated. Part of it is this whole lack-of-job thing. Which leads to the lack of meaningful employment issue. Neither of which is going to be solved overnight, and I’m doing everything in my power to change that. Well, maybe not everything. I haven’t tried any ritual work yet. That’s next on my to-do list.

But a friend’s reading got me thinking about a few other things. And some other thoughts have been bouncing around in my head. So I’ve started working on a few things around the place.

There’s a website called FlyLady that several of my friends online havediscovered and confessed a deep abiding love for the simplistic and directed paths do cleaning and balancing life. While some of it drives me insane (some of the Christian motivation, the simplistic colorings, the life-coach style pep talks), she does have a fabulous way for breaking down the house and trying to keep it ordered and sensible methods of attack if you’ve had a house get out of control. I just can’t attack it the way she does…but the lady makes great lists. Sure, I can do a fifteen minute fling where I run around and quickly pick up…but what I can’t do is take the babystep approach to getting my house clean. It first has to be cleaned from top to bottom and then kept there before I can start de-cluttering. And I can’t do both at the same time. My brain doesn’t fire that way.

Oddly, this approach works for me. It’s very calming to surface clean and then look out on the clean surfaces knowing that there’s chaos lurking just below those surfaces, being kept in my clean counters. And once the house has been restored to its dust free, vacuumed state of being, then I’ll be traveling with my trusty timer to sort, toss, store and sell various parts of our house. Things that have been moved and displayed because they should be instead of we want them to be. It’s too warm to work outside, so this is helping me redefine who and what I am. Figuring out the places and nooks makes me feel centered. Odd, but it works.

And while I’m doing this, I’m putting my thoughts in order. My mental self is sorting, tossing and storing various thoughts and processes. The whole state of being unemployed (or actually, under employed since being an independent contractor does bring in money - just not a lot). I’m figuring out what I like about myself, what these objects tell me about myself and why I’m keeping some things that make no sense to me but yet seem fit to take up space in my home/my self. Who am I? Why am I clinging to that definition of self? is it really who I am?

But right now, I’m just cleaning house.

 

WW: November Wrap Up

I’ll be getting to these shortly. Promise. Things are a little busy at work.

Voting for your Rights November 14, 2006
Link to CNN story
CNN has an article regarding the woman who is suing to have the pentacle placed on her husbands grave marker. Currently the pentacle is not recognized as an acceptable symbol for headstones, yet Wiccan is considered a valid spiritual practice in the military (I believe), and several islamic symbols have been recently approved for use on headstones. On the bottom left there is a small poll regarding the issue of the pentacle being allowed on headstones, if you are interested in voting (yes!).

The Start November 10, 2006
When did you first realize that the pagan path was for you?

Spiritual Mentors November 1, 2006
Who has been a spiritual mentor for you during your path? If you do not have one (or even if you do), what motivates you to say on your spiritual path?

 

WW: Grimoire

Grimoire October 8th 2006

This weeks question donated by: Sunfire

Do you keep an equivalent of a book of shadows? What format do you keep it in? (digital, paper), how often do you use it, and is it categorized in any way?

I have a digital version which is fairly organized by type of thing I’m attempting - a large section for recipies and crafts and smaller for celebration ideas.
The paper version is more of a journal of my path than anything else. But that’s them.

 

WW: Holidays & Hidden Cameras

Hidden Cameras September 29, 2006

This particular question comes from a recent development in the organization my Druid Church is a member of. You can read the brief details HERE.

What would you do if Christians came to a spiritual event that you were at, and recorded it, then publicized it and ridiculed it without your consent?

I think this is probably my biggest concern about why I don’t do “public” groups. I really don’t think that my religion is something that should be spied on and ridiculed. I don’t do that to their ceremonial process (even if they have a hierarchal order based on the size of hats). I’d feel violated…like I was sharing a part of myself and that my trust had been completely destroyed.

Holidays September 22nd 2006

What high days or holidays do you celebrate? And give a brief description of each.

I’m horrible at this. Honestly. I celebrate the eight sabbats & esbats and try to remember the full & new moon cycle - however briefly. I don’t feel like I’m really devoting anthing special to any of them…sometimes a special meal, or a moment or two here and there as I can…but it’s not like Christmas or Easter wsa growing up. I have a big dose of Catholic guilt over my lack of involvement. But at the same time…this is what I do.

 

WW: Annoyances & What would you do if…

Annoyances September 7th 2006

What are some things that people do in the name of paganism or neo-paganism that tend to annoy you?

I think the one that kills me is the persecution complex. The Salem witch trials were four hundred years ago. Nobody alive then is alive now. We can’t continue to live in the past. Get over it. While government/society might not still be the most accepting thing…that doesn’t mean that every small discrimination is the beginning of world war three.

What would you do if… September 15th 2006

What is one thing relating to your spiritual path that you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t due to lack of money, time, etc. (Examples could be….creating your own altar room, going to visit a historical monument related to your spirituality, etc).

I want my own Working space. I have a bookcase in my kitchen, but it isn’t nearly satisfying as I’d like it to be. And I’d really adore the more time to do such things…but between keeping a roof over my head and keeping myself creatively entertained, I’m screwed out of time.

 

WW: Sacrifices

Sacrifices August 31st 2006

How do you feel about animal or blood sacrifices? In terms I’m speaking about using your own blood as a sacred object during a spiritual working, and using all parts of an animal (hunting deer for meat/pelts) rather than solely for ritual sacrifice. Though if you want to speak about plain animal sacrifice, by all means

Honestly, I get a little sick about blood. And entrails. And goo in general. I don’t hunt, but I don’t bitch out people who do. I have a gift from a friend for the use of books of a deer & rabbit fur pouch, which I used for quite some time to hold my tarot cards…until the cats wanted to play with it too often.

It would have to be something major-work level for me to use my own blood. I stopped cutting myself a while back and I don’t want to return to that…even if for higher purposes.

 

WW: Ritual Planning

Witches Weekly can be found at its new home if you’d like to play along…

Ritual Planning August 21st 2006 (yes, I’m behind!)

What method do you use to plan through rituals or spellwork? (such as a ritual outline, etc) Give a brief rundown of how a particular ritual for you goes.

I’m supposed to plan them? I have yet to plan anything terribly difficult, probably because while I’m a practicing witch, I’m about as practicing as a dilettante. This doesn’t mean I’m not thorough or interested…there’s just usually no real significant planning involved. I look at the calendar and go “I need to do something!” and remember to set some time aside so that I can celebrate appropriately. Most of my rituals have been jammed in between work and a production call, between getting the home ready for guests and guests arriving, or just the simple act of getting myself ready to celebrate (Samhain, for example) becomes the ritualized part of the celebration. I’m very much a kitchen witch…with no actual time to cook. However, if you’re ever invited to our place and I’m cooking, make an effort to show up - while I’m not the trained chefs of our friends, I’m a pretty good hand at what I will cook for guests. And the meal is usually an event in itself.

I’m aiming to change though….Fall Equinox is coming, a chance to reap what I’ve sown this past year and start plans for the new year before it starts to turn…